It is in the news that police are investigating an incident where someone ran over three ducklings as they were crossing the road, with the Wildlife and Countryside Act cited. What is the law concerning how one should behave if a wild animal is in the road you are driving on?

When I was learning to drive (many years ago, in an area that frequently has wild animals in the road) I learnt that if a human animal is in the road you do whatever you can to avoid them, and if that causes a crash then so be it, people in cars are better protected than pedestrians. If a non-human animal is in the road you continue on until you have ascertained that it is safe to take avoiding action, as a crash is likely to hurt humans and they are infinity more important than wild animals. This is the behaviour I have adopted, and would like to know if it is legal.

This occured in the UK, and that is where I am most interested in answers about. Other jurisdictions could be interesting.

It is in the news that police are investigating an incident where someone ran over three ducklings as they were crossing the road, with the Wildlife and Countryside Act cited. What is the law concerning how one should behave if a wild animal is in the road you are driving on?

When I was learning to drive (many years ago, in an area that frequently has wild animals in the road) I learnt that if a human is in the road you do whatever you can to avoid them, and if that causes a crash then so be it, people in cars are better protected than pedestrians. If a (non-human) animal is in the road you continue on until you have ascertained that it is safe to take avoiding action, as a crash is likely to hurt humans and they are infinity more important than wild animals. This is the behaviour I have adopted, and would like to know if it is legal.

This occured in the UK, and that is where I am most interested in answers about. Other jurisdictions could be interesting.